







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| So do you want me to find a house by myself? | |
| It's not a nice thing to say to a woman... | |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | |
| Are there any fries or any kind of snacks? | |
| Do we have to do that every time we need to open the door? | |
| Hi, is your cat okay? | |
| Also, I think we all need to leave soon. | |
| By the way, I like the colour of the walls... What do you think? | |
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | |
| Because I don't want to waste more time finding a new house... | |
| Thanks father, where is Bear's lead? | |
| It's all your fault! I feel so embarrassed now... | |
| What kind of trick is that? | |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | |
| It's very difficult to talk to you on the phone right now. | |
| What do you do? | |
| The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | |
| I only have 3 hours today. | |
| I've only got Saturday left before I have to move on Sunday. | |
| Yeah, do you mean tricycles? | |